Mind & Meaning

What is consciousness studies? Drawing from philosophy, psychology and neuroscience, scholars explore what it means to be aware — and how our inner experiences relate to the physical world. 

“I believe a shift is occurring in consciousness studies, embracing ideas once dismissed by the scientific community,” says Eugene Jhong, a retired Google software developer whose $2 million gift established the Thomas G. Bever and Stuart R. Hameroff Chair in Consciousness Studies in the University of Arizona’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. “The University of Arizona has long been home to some of the brightest minds and most innovative ideas in this field.” 

Jhong’s gift will help address some of humanity’s most profound questions: How did life begin? What does it mean to be conscious? Why do we have feelings and awareness? 

At the U of A, students explore these questions through the interdisciplinary consciousness studies minor directed by inaugural chair Thomas G. Bever, Regents Professor of Linguistics. The program includes 26 students, an active student club and participation in global conferences. Students like junior Srishti Rajeev — a double major in bioinformatics and cellular biology with five minors, including consciousness studies — explore topics like free will, religious experience, and theories of mind. Along the way, they develop skills applicable to fields from medicine to AI.

Once sidelined by mainstream science, consciousness studies gained momentum in the late 1980s thanks to influential works by scientists like Francis Crick and Roger Penrose. The U of A helped lead this resurgence by hosting the first major interdisciplinary consciousness conference in 1994. 

Jhong’s own interest was sparked after attending that inaugural conference, which was led by professor emeritus Stuart Hameroff, co-founder of the Center for Consciousness Studies in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.